When something that’s not on the main ‘Oscar-buzz’ radar gets a lone acting nomination, I tend to assume – rightly or wrongly – that I’ll be seeing an ultimately flawed film featuring one outstanding performance. That’s emphatically not the case with Half Nelson, which I thought was brilliantly written, filmed, and acted all around. It was a complete movie.
The well-meaning-teacher-of-troubled-inner-city-kids premise has been so overused (Take the Lead anyone?) and has so frequently meant story lines where ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are clear for all to see – it is only a matter of the characters making the correct choice. So it was refreshing to see Ryan Fleck and co. take a shot at the messiness and the complications of the real world – even if they can’t resist at least hinting at a feel-good ending.
by Eva Holland | Source: DVD
20 May 2008 11:27 PM | Submit Comment
